Social Work to Nursing?? Insight please...

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I started working in social services with a BA after university about 5 years ago. Last year I started an MSW program. I appreciate that I need an MSW to gain job opportunity but I dislike the program and find it very fluffy. I don't feel like I'm learning anything practical...

I've been very lucky job-wise in some respects because last year I was offered and accepted a job as a health consultant with the government. The job is good because I am paid well ($60k/year), I work flex hours, have a pension/benefits, and I have total autonomy. But the work is demoralizing....and most days I feel like a glorified complaints department for the health department in a position where I'm not given the tools to offer any solution. Also I have nearly zero social interaction and I am a very social person by nature.

I really think I would like to be a nurse. What attracts me to is the pay/growth potential (I'm a very career-oriented person so I'd set my sights on management eventually), flexible hours, social interaction/comradery, and fast-paced nature. I used to serve tables for years and loved running around on my feet being crazy...it gave me a sense of accomplishment, shifts flew by, and I always felt like something interesting was happening in my day.

I am an emotionally strong person whose not afraid of hard work (although I'll admit it would be difficult to give up my lavish office lifestyle). I'm also very familar with the frustrations faced by those in health (not enough resources, staffing, etc).

I did shadowing when I was in high school on a maternity ward but it was on a day where things were abnormally slow so I didn't get too much feel for it...

I've been accepted to a full time program (3 years) but also want to start a family in the next few years and feel conflicted about being able to do all this at once. I've also seriously considered OT but the program where I am is too competitive for me GPA-wise. Can anyone provide some insight on my situation? Thank you!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Have you considered Medical Social Work rather than starting all over in nursing? They are absolutely essential and extremely valued partners in health care.

I fear that you may not have a completely realistic picture of nursing. We do NOT have great pay & growth potential. In fact, nursing salaries have lost value in the last 10 years & salaries for direct care staff usually maxx out at ~ 5 years. Career advancement requires additional education & job promotion. We are the lowest rung on the clinical professional hierarchy; saddled with any task or responsibility that other disciplines don't want to do. Case in point - Did you see the latest announcement from Vanderbilt University Hospital . . . where nurses are now responsible for cleaning patient rooms.

Direct care work is extremely task oriented with rigid scheduling requirements. Since you're planning on starting a family, please think about how you will cope with minimal maternity leave & childcare for your 12 hour shifts on weekends, nights and holidays.

I am painting a dire picture - but the last decade has seen hordes of people rushing into nursing based on idealized perceptions only to be quickly disillusioned as they try to find jobs & pay back student loans working at jobs that they hate. I don't want you to end up in the same situation.

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Thanks for your insightful comments! I sincerely appreciate it!

One thing I know, the province I'm in, nurses are paid way more than social workers. I work alongside a nurse who is paid 90k for basically the same job I have where I am paid 60k. She is also more respected because she's had clinical practice whereas my experience is more administration and research-based. Medical Social Worker would be up my ally as I ultimately want to work in the hospital...I just love the fast paced environment compared to a dim office... not to mention I really want to feel part of a team. I don't know if there are opportunities for Social Work in health care administration, perhaps if I were to gain an MPA or MPHA on top of my MSW, would that help?

Thank you again... Your points about childcare, etc are good points and something I will need to consider....

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Any luck with making your decision? I'm in a nursing program but everything thus far, is about medications. I'm really interested in psychosocial health and feel passionate about issues with mental health particularly in eating disorders and adolescents. I love working with people and right now am wondering if nursing is the best decision or if social work is a better one? Any suggestions, comments or advice welcome!

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Everywhere I've worked over the years, RNs have made a lot more than social workers, and I've known quite a few social workers who have thought about going into nursing for that reason (esp. since my specialty is psych, and the social workers in psych settings think that they see the RNs doing much the same things they (the SWs) are doing, just for a lot more money, with less formal education). However, once they looked into what nursing school and getting started in nursing practice would actually involve, every social workers I've known who has had that thought has ended up deciding against it (not least because of the idea of dealing with every kind of bodily fluid and doing lots of hands-on personal care :)).

Best wishes for your journey!

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